Arizona weekly enterprise., 1887-07-23
A LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS LIFE.
The Perilous Duty of Caring for a Bea-
 con Light-A Stormy Night.

The Perilous Duty of Caring for a Bea-
 Light-A Stormy Night.
 The duty of keeper of one of these great beacon lights is not arduous, but sometimes it is attended with consider able danger. Owing to the great height of the tower, and the peculiarly exposed condition, there is always the chance of its being destroyed by fierce hurricane of wind and rain. During dark, stormy night in April, 1854, the Minot's Ledge lighthouse, near Boston, was thus de- stroyed by the combined action of wind, rain and the heavy sea. The lighthouse was a skeleton iron structure, situated on a ledge of rock, which at low water is entirely baze, but at high tide several feet of water covers it. At an unknown hour of the night the iron posts snapped in two and the lighthouse toppled over into the restless sea.
 The keepers house on the iron towers is usually situated near the top of the lighthouse, just under the great revolv- ing lamp. A strong platform is con- structed on the top series of braces and an octagonal structure of wood then built, perforated on each side by window holes. This small structure acts as a storehouse for the oil and other appara- tus connected with the lighthouse and as living place for the keeper. It is made as small as practicable so as to offer the least amount of resistance to the wind. The small cupola above this building, where the great reflector is situated, is reached by winding iron staircase. To keep the lamp in good condition for per- forming its proper work requires clean ing every day. The keeper, in addition to trimming the wicks and replenishing the vessel with oil each morning, has to oil the revolving apparatus and see that the glass globe and reflector are clean and clear of smoke. Before darkness settles over the land the lamp must then be lighted and the machinery set in operation.
 If 1t is an exceptionally stormy night the great Illuminating apparatus must be constantly watched, lest some accident should extinguish the light. The glass globe is, of course, very thick and strengthened by heavy brass braces; but even with this precaution many i&cidents are known where the glass panels have DeUn DIOwn in by the force of tlte wind and hail, and the light extinguished at OHCe. 1He experiences OI d keeper on dark stormy night are not always agree able. The wind blowing up from some rough quarter of the globe, sweeps across the sea with alarming rapidity, flashing the water into light foam, and moaning titfully about the tall tower. At a height l of 100 feet from the surface of the sea it attains speed equal to that of small hurricane. and, when it strikes the glass | globe of the lighthouse, it whistles in and out among the iron braces as though it would tear them from their sockets. If the wind is accompanied by rain and hail the wildness of the scene is increased. The glass is thick and strong enough usu- ally to resist the force of the frozen drops of water; but the noise made by the con stant pattering of the descending hail on it is louder than if it were falling upon some hard metal or stone. At such a time it would be a dangerous risk to venture out on the platform surround ing the big light, even though clinging to the stout iron railing for support. As the lighthouses are arranged at the present day, there is no need of the keeper at tempting such feat, as the lamp and all pertaining to it can be reached from the inside.-N. Y. Mail and Express.